Gunmen abduct Jordanian envoy in Tripoli: ministry

TRIPOLI, Libya--Masked gunmen seized the Jordanian ambassador in the Libyan capital early on Tuesday, officials said, the latest in a wave of abductions that has swept Libya as the North African nation grapples with lawlessness since the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Libyan Foreign Ministry spokesman Said al-Aswad said several masked gunmen in two cars opened fire at Ambassador Fawaz al-Etan's vehicle in Tripoli, wounding the driver and forcing the diplomat out at gunpoint.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Sabah al-Rafie confirmed the kidnapping but had no further details. She said the Jordanian government was following the matter closely with Libyan authorities.

The motives behind the abduction were not clear and no one immediately claimed responsibility for it.